1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image mutual transfer and succession method of a virtual image and real image, and more particularly to a method of transferring a virtual image display reflecting a real item on a half mirror into a real image display, or transferring a real image display into a virtual image display reflecting a real item on a half mirror.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a game machine employing an image display device using a virtual image, there is a target-hammering game device disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-323037.
This target-hammering game machine displays the target image projected on the CRT screen to the player by synthesizing the virtual image of the hammering table pursuant to the operation of a half mirror and the mirror image of the hammer held by the player.
Upon playing the game, the player plays the game while viewing the screen of the image display device, and swings the hammer such that the hammer, which is a mirror image, collides with the target image.
When the player hammers the target image successfully, the shock sensor detects this hammering motion and outputs a signal, and, based on such signal, the image control device switches the target image on the CRT screen to a direct hit effect image.
In addition, there is a synthesized image display device, game device and bowling game device disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-114221.
This synthesized image display device synthesizes an actual ball and an image ball and displays this to the observer, and comprises a CRT display for displaying images, and a mirror for forming a reflective virtual image of such image.
Upon playing the game, the actual ball rolled by the player rolls on the traveling face, passes by the mirror, and moves further toward the back.
Then, when the actual ball passes by the half mirror portion of the mirror, an image ball having the same outer appearance as the actual ball appears, and the actual ball switches to this image ball.
In other words, after the actual ball hides behind the mirror, the image ball as the reflective virtual image continues the movement.
In addition, the game device disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-104311 structures a variable display device with a rotational drum having a special design on the peripheral face thereof; a drum lamp capable of illuminating light to the special design of the rotational drum; a half mirror which visibly transmits the special design pursuant to the illumination from the drum lamp; and a projection display mechanism capable of projecting and displaying the projected image on the half mirror, and the projection display mechanism projects and displays the character design as the projected image on the half mirror.
According to the foregoing structure, provided is a mechanically variable display device capable of displaying a character design in addition to the display of a special design, and the ornamental visual effect is thereby improved.
Meanwhile, as described above, the target-hammering game machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-323037 executes the game with the virtual image of the hammer and the background image thereof by employing a half mirror, and merely represents the actual whack-a-mole game machine, which is a well-known and popular game, with an image. Thus, this merely displays a virtual image and does not have a switching structure.
With the synthesized image display device, game device and bowling game device disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-114221, when the actual ball rolled by the player hides behind the backside of the mirror, an image ball as the reflective virtual image continues the movement. Although this yields an advantage in that the occupancy space of the game device can be reduced and the device itself can be simplified by spatially disposing the portion of the real item and the portion of the reflective virtual image separately, the real item in the game machine is merely replaced with an image representation, and thereby lacks variety and diversity.
Moreover, since an actual ball is moved, a large space is required, and there is a problem in that the game device will become large.
With the game device disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-104311, the player visually recognizes the special design of the rotational drum via the half mirror. Although the projected image is overlapped on the special design of the rotational drum and projecting and displaying the same, the display to the player is mainly structured of the special design of the rotational drum, and this merely adds an image representation employing a virtual image to the periphery of the special design of the rotational drum.